Charles & Camilla

Welsh pop star Cerys Matthews made a trip to Buckingham Palace in London on Friday (21Nov14) to pick up a special honour from Charles, Prince Of Wales. The former Catatonia frontwoman was made a Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE) by the British royal, who honoured her heritage by congratulating the star in Welsh.
Matthews, who is an ambassador for the heir to the throne's charity The Prince's Trust, tells Britain's Daily Mail newspaper, "He said congratulations in Welsh, which is a tough word - llongyfarchiadau... I recently was invited to one of his and Camilla's (Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall) evenings in the Llwynywermod (in Wales), where he has a house. It's a very magical part of the world and it sort of makes sense that he's got a place there because of his interest in botany and the natural sciences, so we talked about that."

British actor Idris Elba read poetry onstage to kick off the Invictus Games sporting competition in London on Wednesday (10Sep14). The Wire star appeared onstage in front of 6,500 people at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in the capital to recite the powerful poem Invictus, written by William Ernest Henley, as part of the opening celebrations.
British royal Prince Harry, who created the event, also took to the stage to give an empowering speech for the wounded military personnel competing in the sporting event.
An Invictus anthem, written by Coldplay's Chris Martin, was performed by a military choir and British soprano Laura Wright sang her track Invincible. U.S. First Lady Michelle Obama also praised the athletes in a video message.
Charles, Prince of Wales, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall and William, Duke of Cambridge also attended the ceremony.
Prince William's pregnant wife Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge cancelled her appearance as she is suffering from severe morning sickness.
The opening ceremony went ahead a day after a launch party was held for the competitors and their families on Tuesday (09Sep14). Prince Harry attended the bash and Foo Fighters performed. The rockers will headline the closing concert on Sunday (14Sep14).

Britain's Charles, Prince Of Wales and his wife Camilla, Duchess Of Cornwall have expressed their condolences to Joan Rivers' family following the legendary comedienne's death on Thursday (04Sep14). The funnywoman, who had become unlikely friends with the royal couple, was taken off life support at New York's Mount Sinai Hospital on Thursday, a week after she stopped breathing during a routine throat procedure at a nearby clinic.
Tributes from celebrity pals and fans alike have been pouring in for the 81-year-old star following the sad news, and now Prince Charles and his wife have joined those in mourning her unexpected passing.
A statement issued by officials at royal residence Clarence House on Friday (05Sep14) reads: "The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall are deeply saddened to hear of the death of Joan Rivers.
"Joan Rivers was an extraordinary woman with an original and indefatigable spirit, an unstoppable sense of humour and an enormous zest for life. She will be hugely missed and utterly irreplaceable."
Rivers had been among the guests at the couple's wedding in 2005.
Meanwhile, actor Jerry Seinfeld honoured the tragic funnywoman's memory during an unexpected appearance at the Big Apple's Gotham Comedy Club on Thursday night, hours after Rivers' death.
Seinfeld told the local NY1 news channel, "I loved her life, I loved the way she lived her life, I loved the way she approached her comedy, that it was comedy. She worked constantly and she never got too big to go to (stand-up) clubs..."

WENN/Daniel Deme
Angelina Jolie continued her campaign to end sexual violence in war zones by meeting British royal Camilla, Duchess Of Cornwall in London on Thursday (12Jun14). Alongside Britain's Foreign Secretary William Hague, the Hollywood actress launched the Global Summit to End Sexual Violence in Conflict in the British capital on Tuesday (10Jun14).
They have continued to promote the drive in the U.K. all week, and on Thursday they headed to royal residence Clarence House for a special meeting with the wife of Charles, Prince of Wales. The trio discussed the women's campaign, which is trending on social media with the slogan #timetoact, during the meeting.
A post on the official Twitter.com account for Clarence House reads, "The Duchess of Cornwall has met @WilliamJHague and @UN Special Envoy Angelina Jolie to discuss their #TimetoAct work. "The Duchess has visited a number of projects over recent years working with victims of rape and sexual abuse, and is keen to raise awareness."

A new multi-million dollar TV epic is to chart the 60-year reign of British monarch Queen Elizabeth II. The Crown, which has a reported budget of $160 million (£100 million), will chart the Queen's life from her marriage to Philip, Duke of Edinburgh in 1947 to the present day.
The script for the 20-hour epic will be penned by Peter Morgan, the screenwriter behind 2006 film The Queen, with the assistance of director Stephen Daldry.
Casting officials are said to be looking for three actresses to play the monarch in different stages of her life.
A source tells Britain's Daily Mail, "There will be hundreds and hundreds of roles to be cast, from prime ministers to international leaders such as the U.S. presidents she has met. And probably Nelson Mandela will be in there, too... And don't forget Prince Philip - that's going to be a huge role for an actor, or more likely several. People will play Charles (Prince of Wales), Diana (Princess of Wales), Camilla (Duchess of Cornwall), William (Prince William), Kate (Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge)... the whole lot of them."
Bosses at web streaming service Netflix have reportedly secured the rights to premiere the show worldwide in 2016.

British royal Prince Charles and his wife Camilla, Duchess Of Cornwall were among the mourners at a church in Dorset, England on Thursday (01May14) as her brother Mark Shand was laid to rest. The 63-year-old travel writer and conservationist died on 23 April (14) after tripping and hitting his head on the sidewalk outside a New York bar during a night out.
The royal couple was joined by 180 guests, including Camilla's sister Annabel Shand Elliot and Shand's 19-year-old daughter Ayesha, at the Holy Trinity Church in Sourtpaine, Dorset for the memorial.
The Duchess paid tribute to her younger brother by reading Rabindranath Tagore's poem Farewell My Friends at the service, while renowned wildlife photographer Don McCullin and Camilla's niece Ayesha also remembered Shand at the funeral.
Meanwhile, officials at Shand's conservation organisation The Elephant Family have established a charity in his name.

British royals Prince William and Catherine, Duchess Of Cambridge have expressed their sadness following the death of Prince Charles' brother-in-law Mark Shand. Travel writer Shand, the sibling of Prince William's stepmother Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, was hospitalised in New York City on Tuesday (22Apr14) after falling and hitting his head on the pavement outside a nightclub.
The 62 year old died from his injuries on Wednesday (23Apr14).
Prince William and his wife heard the sad news as they neared the end of their tour of Australasia, and they passed on their condolences to the Shand family.
The statement from Kensington Palace reads, "The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were saddened to learn this morning of the tragic death of Mark Shand. Their thoughts are with The Duchess of Cornwall and her family at this time."

Prince Charles' brother-in-law Mark Shand has died, hours after he was hospitalised in New York with a serious head injury. The travel writer and conservationist, the brother of Charles' wife Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, was admitted to a medical centre in critical condition on Tuesday night (22Apr14) after slipping and smacking his head on the pavement outside The Diamond Horseshoe nightclub, where the 62 year old was attending a party following a charity auction hosted by bosses at Sotheby's.
However, doctors were unable to save him and he died on Wednesday (23Apr14).
Representatives at royal residence Clarence House have confirmed the sad news in a statement that reads: "It is with deep sadness that we have to confirm that The Duchess of Cornwall's brother, Mark Shand, has today passed away in New York.
"Mr. Shand died in hospital as a result of a serious head injury which he sustained during a fall last night.
"The Duchess, The Prince of Wales and all her family members are utterly devastated by this sudden and tragic loss. Mark Shand was a man of extraordinary vitality, a tireless campaigner and conservationist whose incredible work through The Elephant Family and beyond remained his focus right up until his death."

Prince Charles' brother-in-law Mark Shand is in a critical condition in a New York hospital after falling and hitting his head during a night out on Tuesday (22Apr14). Travel writer and conservationist Shand, the brother of Charles' wife Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, is reported to have slipped and smacked his head on the pavement outside The Diamond Horseshoe nightclub, where the 62 year old was attending an after party hosted by auction house bosses at Sotheby's to celebrate its annual Faberge Big Egg Hunt.
A statement issued by representatives from royal residence Clarence House to the New York Post reads: "The Duchess of Cornwall's brother, Mark Shand, has been taken to a New York hospital after falling and sustaining a serious head injury.
"The Duchess, her family and The Prince of Wales are clearly deeply concerned and are being kept closely informed."

Gwen Stefani's wedding dress is to go on display at a prominent museum in London as part of an exhibition showcasing gowns from stars' big days. The No Doubt singer wore a pink and white creation by John Galliano when she married rocker Gavin Rossdale in 2004, and fans will be able to get a glimpse of the gown at the Victoria and Albert Museum.
The frock will be included in the Wedding Dresses 1775-2014 exhibition, which also includes the purple number Dita Von Teese wore for her marriage to shock rocker Marilyn Manson, and a headpiece worn by Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall during her wedding to Charles, Prince of Wales in 2005.
The show opens on 3 May (14).

Synopsis

The story of the 30-year love affair of Charles, Prince of Wales, and Camilla Parker Bowles. They met one wet afternoon in 1971 when debutante Camilla Shand waded across a polo field to be introduced to the 23-year-old Prince of Wales. Camilla teased the Prince with: "Our ancestors were lovers. So how about it?" Camilla's great-grandmother had been mistress to Edward VII. Charles was drawn to Camilla's self-confidence and her sense of humour. Three months after the affair began, Charles left for eight months' naval service. While he was away, Camilla became engaged to be married -- but did not end her relationship with Charles.